UK terrorism trial could be held entirely in secret
8 replies, posted
[url]http://www.theguardian.com/law/2014/jun/04/uk-secret-terrorism-trial-legal-justice-human-rights[/url]
[quote]A major criminal trial involving two men charged with serious terrorism offences could be held entirely in secret for the first time in modern British legal history.
Lawyers contesting the decision at the court of appeal on Wednesday said the plan amounted to "an unprecedented departure from the principles of open justice" and was "inconsistent with democracy and the rule of law".
Until now it has not even been possible to report the existence of the forthcoming trial against the two men, known only as AB and CD. But three appeal court judges lifted a gagging order allowing reporting of a hearing challenging the plans.
The trial would be the first criminal case to be held behind closed doors for hundreds of years. It involves two defendants who are charged with terrorism but whose names are being withheld from the public. Unless the appeal succeeds, journalists will be banned from being present in court to report the proceedings on 16 June or the outcome of the trial.
The men will be tried by a jury but no report of the case will be made public and no members of the media or public will be given access to the court.[/quote]
I wonder why this case in particular might warrant it
Yeah that's fucked, that needs to be done openly.
[QUOTE=Universal Declaration of Human Rights]Article 11.
(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law [B]in a public trial[/B] at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.[/QUOTE]
[URL]http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a11[/URL]
These should really be enforced harder.
This is concerning. Perhaps they want it out of public eye because the public would disagree that the charges were just.
[QUOTE=Jon27;45016546]This is concerning. Perhaps they want it out of public eye because the public would disagree that the charges were just.[/QUOTE]
More like people won't like how the evidence was gathered.
[QUOTE=Lord Fear;45016117][URL]http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a11[/URL]
These should really be enforced harder.[/QUOTE]
It's entirely unenforceable (it's customary to follow it, but that's it), that's why they made wrote things like the ICCPR which are (and draw definitions or refer to the UDHR).
I think it's important that the identities of the defendants are kept secret, but beyond that, this stinks.
